Delving into the history of Halloween, we find that its roots go back much further than you might expect. According to researchers, a 8th-century Irish priest named Virgil preached about an "other world" and "other men" beneath the earth, which angered the Pope himself. This concept may be linked to Persian rites around Nowruz, which involves ritual fires moving from earth to sky.

The Celtic branch of this tradition shifted the location of spirits, dead, and gods from the sky to the earth or water, emphasizing links to the sky via passage tombs oriented towards the sun. This is reflected in the archaeological record of the la Tené culture, famous for its votive offerings deposited in wetlands and bogs.

The article suggests that ritual human sacrifices may have been performed on or around Samhain, which could be connected to the term "jack-o'-lantern" coming from strange lights flickering over peat bogs. While we can't prove the link, finding connections across time is fascinating and a little spooky.

Source: https://resobscura.substack.com/p/a-very-deep-history-of-halloween